Posted by Xnoubis on April 26, 2001 @ 10:27 PMfrom the legends-of-the-fall dept.

Like many Thelemites, my primary acquaintance with the averse (or inverted) pentagram is through the practice of Liber V vel Reguli. That experience gives me the impression that, in contrast to the aright pentagram that signifies the rulership of the spirit over the world of the elements, the averse pentagram is a sign of the spirit concealed or gestating within the elements.

But it has many other dimensions, of course. Satanists, of the LaVey variety among others, characterize it as the shape of the goat of Mendes. Christians, metalheads, and Hollywood have adopted it as the signature of the utmost evil.

Other than that, I'd be interested to hear of others' experiences with the symbol, and how they use it in their magical work, if at all.

There was an interesting piece on the aright and averse pentagram in the band Tool's Valentine's Day Newsletter for this year available here:
http://www.toolband.com/news/letter/nl02_01.html
The newsletters in general have a lot of funny and obscure bits of Crowleyan Occultism. Funny in that most of the fans probably have no idea what the hell they're talking about. Must go. I may add some of my own thoughts later.
-Andy

Traditionally, the pentagram is considered to be the "Seal of the Microcosm," a symbol of the human being as the unity of the elements: earth, air, water, fire, and spirit.

The old Golden Dawn claimed that the point-down pentagram was evil, and their initiates were strictly discouraged against its use. They probably got this doctrine from Eliphas Levi.

But GD graduate Crowley didn't hesitate to include it in one of his most important (and effective) ceremonies, the Ritual of the Mark of the Beast, described in the Book of the Princes (Liber V vel Reguli). In Liber V, Crowley identifies the averse (apex-downward) pentagrams as "my Father's Face, the Star of Force and Fire." The reference to "my Father's Face" may be a deliberate allusion to the goat head in Levi's averse pentagram.

Other Crowley rituals that include pentagrams all have them point up. These include

I know of two organizations that use the averse (apex-downward) pentagram for their principal insignia. The first is the Order of the Eastern Star (OES), a "ladies auxiliary" for Freemasonry. The second is the Church of Satan (COS), as promulgated by A.S. LaVey and his successors. Both groups add other symbols to the pentagram. OES adds emblems of virtues to each of the points, and five emblems of deity to the pentagonal interior, along with the letters F.A.L.T.A. (although I am unsure if that is the correct reading sequence). COS uses the goat head and Hebrew letters from Levi, which spell "Leviathan" counterclockwise from the bottom.

Levi's Baphomet unites both the averse and upright pentagrams: the goat head alludes to the averse one, but its forehead displays the upright version.

COS does identify the goat head in their pentagram with "Baphomet," but in the end there is no global consensus on who or what Baphomet might be or stand for.

The upright pentagram could be associated with the Tragedy of Man, and the LVX which is the first goal of the initiate. The averse pentagram would then be a sign of the Comedy of Pan, and the NOX under which the Masters inhabit the City of the Pyramids.

I don't have anything to add to Crowley's comments, and those here. But, back when I had Levi's Baphomet on my wall, I used to meditate on this: The torch of light changes the averse pentagram of the goat's head into a hexagram.

i once played in a really kick ass punk puke band--we were tottally nihilist. and on new years 94-95 we played a gig---where on the flyers were upside down pentacles and symbols--plus a really cool looking image of anton lavey--all in harsh kick ass looking black and white. maybe there was a 666 on it too.

anyway--there was destruction--awesome gig--people bled--i cheated with a girl that was 'together' with a friend of mine--the party was really swinging---and i got my ass kicked by a guy cause i got out weed in the party. i wouldn't fight him back cause i thought that since he was wrong in the tao he was weaker and so no matter what he did or how much he punched me--i would just laugh at him and tell him he was wrong and basically he was a fool. until he finally just got tired of beating me and i wouldn't shut up. this was in front of like a ton of people and i think it really tripped them all out.

anyway--at this point in life i really don't know the technical aspects as far as thelemism is concerned
on what upside down pentacles really mean.

By the AThBaSh cypher of Temurah Baphomet becomes Sophia, the personification of wisdom in the Gnostic religion. Also an industrial band named Epilepsy put an album called "The Revelation of Baphomet" which comes with a poster of Baphomet and a Tarot deck designed by H.R. Giger that is well worth looking at.
http://www.baphomet.com/
The site gives the lyrics to the first track on the CD, "Introitus", which is in the form of a declaration of the nature of Baphomet.

To unearth the source of the hysteria surrounding the averse pentagram - it may be instructive to note that it wasn't so much the Mendean horns that evoked trepidation in the heart of the Osirians and Christians, as the southward pointing arm.

The south is associated with Set and is also intimately associated with the subliminal sexual current- the coiled primal serpent. Rites associated with the god of the south, require a northward facing opening (the north is the sacred point of the Yezidis notwithstanding the identification of their god Shaitan with the south). Since sex magick and the transformational use of the obeah current as a means to transformation has long been abhorred by the devotees of of the Abrahamic faiths, not unnaturally, the averse pentagram also came to viewed by them as intrinsically evil.

LAShTal

Re: The Averse Pentagram
by star_phoenix on Thursday April 25, @02:25AM

To unearth the source of the hysteria surrounding the averse pentagram - it may be instructive to note that it wasn't so much the Mendean horns that evoked trepidation in the heart of the Osirians and Christians, as the southward pointing arm.

The south is associated with Set and is also intimately associated with the subliminal sexual current- the coiled primal serpent. Rites associated with the god of the south, require a northward facing opening (the north is the sacred point of the Yezidis notwithstanding the identification of their god Shaitan with the south). Since sex magick and the transformational use of the obeah current as a means to transformation has long been abhorred by the devotees of of the Abrahamic faiths, not unnaturally, the averse pentagram also came to viewed by them as intrinsically evil.

LAShTal

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